


Shepherd's Duty

by violetstorm



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Final boss spoilers, Light Angst, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-13
Updated: 2017-06-13
Packaged: 2018-11-13 12:34:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11185236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/violetstorm/pseuds/violetstorm
Summary: Green eyes stared into violet as the world crumbled around them and Sorey couldn’t bring himself to look away, for he knew that once he did, he would never be able to see those violet eyes again.





	Shepherd's Duty

**Author's Note:**

> (Edit: Previous title was "What Must Be Done")

With a loud groan, Heldalf came crashing down to the floor below, sending bits of earth flying through the air. There, he lay immobile as Rose let out a tired, yet triumphant cheer. Finally, they had managed to bring down Heldalf, with the help of the water armatus and the fire armatus. Sorey dearmatized with Mikleo, who gave Sorey a smile, but Sorey couldn't give one in return. He felt a sinking feeling in his stomach as he realized what was about to happen.

This was the second time they managed to stun Heldalf.

This would be the second time Sorey would have to sacrifice one of his companions.

“Sorey!” Lailah called. He looked up to see her running towards him, Rose close behind. Next to him, he could hear Mikleo breathing hard.

“Hey, Sheps. It’s time.” Zaveid’s low, steady voice came from within, and Sorey fought back the urge to retort with a biting remark. He knew now was their chance to fire at Heldalf once more, to take another attempt to sever the bond between Heldalf and Maotelus. He _knew_ it had to be done, and yet…

He couldn’t bring himself to move.

“Sorey? What’s wrong?” Mikleo asked. Sorey shook his head.

“I know we have to… for our beliefs.” Sorey muttered. “But I -”

A loud rumble cut Sorey off, and all four turned to see Heldalf stir, a deep growl emitting from his throat. Sorey’s heart skipped a beat. Heldalf was already beginning to recover.

“Sorey, you _must_ do this!” Lailah cried out. “I know it’s hard, but we cannot let the sacrifices be in vain! For the good of this world, we _must_!”

“Sorey, _c’mon_ , we gotta do this!” Rose gritted her teeth, staring Sorey down. He looked away, finding himself unable to keep her gaze.

“I can’t just _choose_ !” Sorey shouted. All three of them jumped. Rose took a step forward, but said nothing. “You’re all my friends. I-I don’t want to - I-I can’t just _choose_ somebody to sacrifice!” Sorey was whining and he was well aware, but he could not help himself.

Sorey’s throat felt tight, like he could not breathe, though whether from the malevolence or the tears he was struggling to hold back, he did not know. For a moment, nobody said anything. After all, what was there to say?

“Then I’ll do it.”

Mikleo’s voice pierced the silence and Sorey stopped breathing. A hand was placed on Sorey’s shoulder and his head snapped up, meeting Mikleo’s determined gaze. Sorey opened his mouth, but found himself unable to speak.

“Mikleo… are you sure?” Lailah asked, gently, softly. Mikleo nodded, never taking his eyes off of Sorey’s.

“M-Mikleo…” Sorey barely spoke louder than a whisper. Rose shook her head.

“You guys go sort out your own thing! I’m gonna go keep ol’ Kittybeard from getting up!” Rose snarled as she turned and began to run towards Heldalf’s still body, daggers at ready. With one last, pained look at the two of them, Lailah turned to follow Rose, leaving the two by themselves.

“Sorey, you need to do it.” Mikleo repeated, his voice calm.

“Mikleo, I can’t... not you -”

“Then who?” Mikleo snapped. “Lailah? Zaveid? Sorey, those two are far more experienced than I am. I don’t want to be a burden on you.”

At long last, Sorey found his voice. “You’re not a burden, Mikleo! You… you were never a burden.”

Mikleo’s gaze softened, if only for a second. “But what good would it do to sacrifice Lailah or Zaveid? We have no other choice here.”

Sorey said nothing, and Mikleo took this as his cue to continue speaking. “Do you want Edna’s sacrifice to be in vain? What about Gramps? You said you were ready for this!”

Mikleo was right, as usual, and he knew it. Sorey had said that, believing himself to be ready, but nothing could ever prepare somebody for a situation like this. The pain he felt when shooting Siegfried for the first time was one unlike any other. He had been hurt in battle before, burned, stabbed, slashed, beaten, but that feeling was different. It was like his whole body was on fire, burning from the inside out.

He didn’t want to imagine what it was like for Edna. He didn’t want to put Mikleo through that kind of pain.

Heldalf let out a groan and Sorey looked up in time to see Rose, in the wind armatus, barely managing to fly away from Heldalf’s outstretched claws. Already, he was able to move.

“Sorey, we’re running out of time!” Mikleo’s grip on Sorey’s shoulder was almost painful as he spun Sorey around to face him. Green eyes stared into violet as the world crumbled around them and Sorey couldn’t bring himself to look away, for he knew that once he did, he would never be able to see those violet eyes again.

“Sorey, please…” Mikleo pleaded. “We need to do this. For Edna, Gramps, Muse, for our dream…”

 _Their_ dream.. To let humans and seraphim coexist with one another. Sorey exhaled. He was being selfish. That dream wasn't just _his_ dream, it was Mikleo's too. Even if he was gone, their dream would live on. Sorey then gaveMikleo what he hoped was a positive smile. Mikleo gave his signature smirk in return and tried to take his hand off of Sorey's, but he was too slow. Sorey caught his hand in his own and he squeezed it reassuringly. Mikleo squeezed back.

As he armatized with Mikleo, a familiar warmth washed over him, like an evening summer’s shower.  He took a deep breathe, feeling Mikleo’s energy resound within himself.

“Ready?” Mikleo said.

“Y-Yeah.” Sorey pulled out Siegfried with trembling hands and pointed it at Heldalf, who had stopped attacking Rose and was now facing Sorey, almost taunting him with his gaze, almost daring Sorey to shoot him. It was the same merciless gaze Sorey saw when Heldalf had absorbed Gramps, the same cruel, mocking gaze Sorey saw after using Edna. He couldn't allow Heldalf to win. For the sake of the world, he had to bear this pain.

Sorey placed his finger over the trigger and with one last, deep, shuddering breath, he shut his eyes and fired Siegfried. It let out a bang as it recoiled in his grip and time seemed to slow as Sorey felt Mikleo’s energy leaving his body.

_Mikleo…_

Sorey had been without Mikleo before. When they were exploring ruins, when he lost his resonance in Heldalf and Cardinal Forton’s domain, even when Mikleo had run off during their first time in Ladylake, not wanting to burden Sorey...

But those times were different. In his soul and even through the Sub Lord’s pact, Sorey knew that Mikleo was still there with him. He knew that he and Mikleo would be able to find a way back to each other. They always did. Whether it was getting lost in ruins or getting lost in battle, they always managed to find each other.

However this time was not one of those times. Sorey could feel his connection with Mikleo wavering. No longer did he feel the comforting warmth that once enshrouded him, no, it was instead replaced by an icy chill. As the last of Mikleo’s energy left his body, Sorey cried out in pain, in despair as the most agonizing sensation ripped through his body, like his heart was being torn straight out of his chest.

Sorey collapsed to the ground, his legs like jelly, panting. He could feel his clothes, his hair, his body return to normal as Heldalf let out a pained roar. He had hit his target.

Sorey slowly opened his eyes, to see Siegfried in his hands, cold and heavy. Tears began to roll down his cheeks as he stood on shaky legs and looked around. Nothing. No silver hair, no turquoise clothing, no smirk, no violet eyes, they were nowhere to be found.

Mikleo was gone, and with him, a piece of Sorey.

**Author's Note:**

> Isn't it fitting that I listened to Zestiria's "Overcome the Hesitation" while writing this? Please excuse me if I got any lore wrong. It was confusing knowing what really happened to the seraphim when they got shot from Siegfried. I hope you enjoyed~


End file.
